Hardening By Auditing

Developing an internal auditing capability within an organization is as important to the continued success of that organization as any other initiative or process. An “audit” is a systematic, independent, and documented process for obtaining evidence and evaluating it objectively to determine the extent to which audit criteria are fulfilled. “Internal audits” are audits conducted by on behalf of the organization itself for internal purposes, and can form the basis of the organizations self-declaration of conformity or compliance. A well-planned, effective, internal auditing program should consider the relative importance of the processes and areas to be audited. Don’t waste time on the unimportant. The success of an organization is the sum of the effectiveness of Management authority, responsibility, and accountability. They are, in turn, the sum of the manner in which Management deals with the findings of the internal audits. The premise of this book and my reason for creating it is simple: 1. Our organizations (large and small – public and private) and, in fact, our lives are in danger from both physical and cyber-attacks, because we remain incredibly uneducated, unstructured, and vulnerable, when it comes to threats to our security. 2. Organizational Security can be upgraded profoundly through a well-developed program of internal and outside audits. This book stresses internal audits – those that you do by yourselves and within your walls. 3. Organizations can combine resources synergistically. That is, the whole of the effort will be greater than the sum of its parts. I have kept this work as compact as possible, so as to minimize reading time and maximize productivity. I write for no-nonsense CEOs, acquisition, security, and program managers in both the public and private sectors, with big responsibilities and limited resources. I refer often to four excellent ISO International Standards. They offer guidance for structuring effective management programs rapidly, regardless of whether or not organizations desire certification by accreditation bodies. I invite you to use my approach to Risk Management. You will find it an effective and uncomplicated method for developing and monitoring your strategic plans. Checklists and “quick-looks” can bring you up to speed fast. Using the checklists provided and taking prompt, positive, action on your findings will improve your security posture almost immediately, as well as boost your confidence to take on greater challenges.

If you need to deploy, manage, or secure Microsoft SQL Server 2012, this is the complete, fast-paced, task-based reference you’ve been searching for. Authored by a worldclass expert on running SQL Server in the enterprise, this book goes far beyond the basics, taking on the complex tasks that DBAs need to make the most of Microsoft’s first cloud-enabled database platform. Designed for maximum practical usability, it’s packed with expert tips and up-to-date real-world configuration guidance you simply won’t find anywhere else. As someone who helped influence the design of SQL Server 2012 and drawing on many months of beta testing, Ross Mistry provides immediately usable solutions for installation and upgrades, management and monitoring, performance and availability, security, consolidation, virtualization, troubleshooting, and more. Mistry identifies new features and corresponding best practices in every chapter, helping you take full advantage of new SQL Server innovations ranging from private cloud support to AlwaysOn Availability Groups. Understand how to: Efficiently install or upgrade the SQL Server 2012 database engine Administer and configure database engine settings, storage, I/O, and partitioning Transfer data on-premise or to the cloud Manage and optimize indexes Learn how to consolidate, virtualize and optimize SQL Server for Private Clouds Harden and audit SQL Server 2012 environments Administer security and authorization, including new Contained Databases Encrypt data and communications Design and deploy new AlwaysOn high-availability and disaster recovery features Implement maintenance best practices, including Policy-Based Management

* Includes automation suggestions—deployment, rollout, etc. * Discusses security/hardening strategies and best practices that aren’t platform specific—that is, they can be applied to any operating system, not just Windows * Offers suggestions for hardening internal communications as well as external communications—often the greatest threat is a knowledgeable user from the inside

Gain a firm practical understanding of how to secure your Linux system from intruders, malware attacks, and other cyber threats Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free eBook in PDF format. Key Features Discover security techniques to prevent malware from infecting a Linux system, and detect it Prevent unauthorized people from breaking into a Linux system Protect important and sensitive data from being revealed to unauthorized persons Book DescriptionThe third edition of Mastering Linux Security and Hardening is an updated, comprehensive introduction to implementing the latest Linux security measures, using the latest versions of Ubuntu and AlmaLinux. In this new edition, you will learn how to set up a practice lab, create user accounts with appropriate privilege levels, protect sensitive data with permissions settings and encryption, and configure a firewall with the newest firewall technologies. You’ll also explore how to use sudo to set up administrative accounts with only the privileges required to do a specific job, and you’ll get a peek at the new sudo features that have been added over the past couple of years. You’ll also see updated information on how to set up a local certificate authority for both Ubuntu and AlmaLinux, as well as how to automate system auditing. Other important skills that you’ll learn include how to automatically harden systems with OpenSCAP, audit systems with auditd, harden the Linux kernel configuration, protect your systems from malware, and perform vulnerability scans of your systems. As a bonus, you’ll see how to use Security Onion to set up an Intrusion Detection System. By the end of this new edition, you will confidently be able to set up a Linux server that will be secure and harder for malicious actors to compromise.What you will learn Prevent malicious actors from compromising a production Linux system Leverage additional features and capabilities of Linux in this new version Use locked-down home directories and strong passwords to create user accounts Prevent unauthorized people from breaking into a Linux system Configure file and directory permissions to protect sensitive data Harden the Secure Shell service in order to prevent break-ins and data loss Apply security templates and set up auditing Who this book is for This book is for Linux administrators, system administrators, and network engineers interested in securing moderate to complex Linux environments. Security consultants looking to enhance their Linux security skills will also find this book useful. Working experience with the Linux command line and package management is necessary to understand the concepts covered in this book.

In today's interconnected world, where information is the lifeblood of businesses and governments, the importance of cybersecurity in network server devices cannot be overstated. Systematic investigations and robust defenses are essential to safeguard against the myriad threats that lurk within the vast realm of cyberspace. This comprehensive ebook delves into the scientific and technological uncertainties surrounding cybersecurity in network server devices and explores the measures necessary to counteract these threats.

This book is about database security and auditing. You will learn many methods and techniques that will be helpful in securing, monitoring and auditing database environments. It covers diverse topics that include all aspects of database security and auditing - including network security for databases, authentication and authorization issues, links and replication, database Trojans, etc. You will also learn of vulnerabilities and attacks that exist within various database environments or that have been used to attack databases (and that have since been fixed). These will often be explained to an “internals level. There are many sections which outline the “anatomy of an attack – before delving into the details of how to combat such an attack. Equally important, you will learn about the database auditing landscape – both from a business and regulatory requirements perspective as well as from a technical implementation perspective. * Useful to the database administrator and/or security administrator - regardless of the precise database vendor (or vendors) that you are using within your organization. * Has a large number of examples - examples that pertain to Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, Sybase and even MySQL.. * Many of the techniques you will see in this book will never be described in a manual or a book that is devoted to a certain database product. * Addressing complex issues must take into account more than just the database and focusing on capabilities that are provided only by the database vendor is not always enough. This book offers a broader view of the database environment - which is not dependent on the database platform - a view that is important to ensure good database security.

Information technology auditing examines an organization's IT infrastructure, applications, data use, and management policies, procedures, and operational processes against established standards or policies. Modernizing Enterprise IT Audit Governance and Management Practices provides a guide for internal auditors and students to understand the audit context and its place in the broader information security agenda. The book focuses on technology auditing capabilities, risk management, and technology assurance to strike a balance between theory and practice. This book covers modern assurance products and services for emerging technology environments, such as Dev-Ops, Cloud applications, Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, blockchain, and electronic payment systems. It examines the impact of the pandemic on IT Audit transformation, outlines common IT audit risks, procedures, and involvement in major IT audit areas, and provides up-to-date audit concepts, tools, techniques, and references. This book offers valuable research papers and practice articles on managing risks related to evolving technologies that impact individuals and organizations from an assurance perspective. The inclusive view of technology auditing explores how to conduct auditing in various contexts and the role of emergent technologies in auditing. The book is designed to be used by practitioners, academicians, and students alike in fields of technology risk management, including cybersecurity, audit, and technology, across different roles.

This book is an annotated compendium of articles and checklists I wrote on the subject of Internal Auditing and to help internal auditors to identify, correct, and track nonconformities in their organizations. It is based on work I have done as an auditor and management consultant in the U.S. and in Central America and as a Military analyst for the Center for Naval Analyses, research of some very fine books, and the 27 years of military service that preceded it. The premise of this book and my reason for creating it is simple: 1. Our organizations (large and small public and private) can audit themselves more effectively than outside consultants or registrars. The news in recent years has proven that reliance on outside auditors to the exclusion or minimization of internal audits is both perilous and unforgiveable. 2. It is not enough that organizations reach states of profitability and self-sustainment; they must develop a corporate character that identifies it as a good neighbor and responsible member of society. This corporate character must include Corporate Responsibility, employee safety and quality of life, and environmental compliance. 3. Our organizations, and, in fact, our lives are in danger from both physical and cyber-attacks, because we remain incredibly uneducated, unstructured, and vulnerable, when it comes to these modern-day, fact-of-life, threats. Organizational Security can be upgraded profoundly through a well-developed program of internal audits. 4. Organizations can combine resources synergistically. That is, the whole of the effort will be greater than the sum of its parts. I have kept this work as compact as possible, so as to minimize reading time and maximize productivity. I write for no-nonsense managers with big responsibilities and limited resources. I refer often to excellent ISO International Standards.